Video Product Review: Bergara Premier Approach Rifle
Part hunting rifle, part tactical sniper rifle with a dash of competition gun thrown in for good measure, the Bergara Premier Approach is a factory rifle that is built and performs like an expensive custom rifle.
By factory rifle, I mean that it has parts made in small batches in a factory. That is about where the term factory ends. Each model of the Bergara Premier line has its own builder assigned to just assemble that specific model.
Bergara starts with the best barrel in the business and has added an action that is unbelievable in reliability and performance. They have created a 360-degree feed ramp to the chamber by tapering the bolt and chamber into a cone shape for more reliable and smoother feeding and ejection. Using a double lug bolt for serious engagement and bombproof reliability, the Bergara Premier action builds on the proven performance of double lug systems that have gone before it.
The rifle was designed by Dan Hanus, who worked in his previous life as a rifle builder for the Marine Corps Precision Weapons Section, which built M40A1 rifles for Force Recon Snipers. The furniture was developed by former Navy SEAL Ryan McMillan of Grayboe, who brought his expertise in the field and the legacy of the McMillan name and heritage to the table.
The stock is reminiscent of the M40 and made of a reinforced fiberglass and features the proprietary Bergara Camo paint pattern. The barrel and action are painted in Cerakote and the internals are nitrided for supremely smooth performance.
As sweet as the barrel and action are, the trigger blows anything you have ever pulled out of the water. It is a Triggertech Frictionless Trigger. Utilizing several innovative additions to the standard trigger, Triggertech removes the friction of the trigger bar rubbing on the sear, to give you a steady consistent pull through the entire motion of the trigger. Additional technologies make it an amazingly crisp and responsive bang switch. It is user adjustable without dissembling the rifle from 2-4.5 pounds by simply adjusting an Allen screw behind the trigger.
The real test of any rifle is how well it shoots, and each one of the Bergara rifles comes with a target that was shot from the shoulder, not in a vice, to prove that you didn’t get a “Monday Gun.” Sub MOA accuracy out of the box isn’t a goal, it is a guarantee with a Bergara. At the end of the day, "Guarantee" is a big emphasis with every employee at Bergara willing to stand behind their product, but definitely not in front of it. Click on the video to see how well this rifle performs.
Dan Kidder
My name is Dan Kidder, I am Managing Editor of Sportsman's News Magazine. I am a former Marine who served with the Fleet Anti Terrorism Security Team Company during Operation Desert Storm. Prior to moving to Utah, I served as communications director for Georgia Congressman Mac Collins in his Washington, DC office. I am the President and CEO of On Target Defensive Training, offering firearms and unarmed combat courses to civilians and law enforcement. My students have included federal agents of the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, Border Patrol, ICE, local and state law enforcement, national celebrities, and the general public. My beat at Sportsman's News includes tactical firearms, personal protection, survival, first aid, camping, and hiking.
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